<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>i see ghosts in the shadows of your eyes (they linger, ever present, like heavy weights on your shoulders) by autumnalesque</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22764277">i see ghosts in the shadows of your eyes (they linger, ever present, like heavy weights on your shoulders)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/autumnalesque/pseuds/autumnalesque'>autumnalesque</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Closure, Heavy Angst, M/M, Occult, Supernatural Elements, Survivor Guilt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:27:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,334</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22764277</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/autumnalesque/pseuds/autumnalesque</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>For dimilix week, day 3: I chose the prompt "supernatural/creature AU".</p>
<p>Felix lost his brother in a tragic accident and blames himself. Annette, in an effort to help him find some sort of closure, brings him to a medium who claims he can speak for the dead. Dimitri is strange, and while Felix thinks the whole thing is ridiculous, he decides to humor Annette against his better judgment. </p>
<p>What happens in that room flips his entire worldview on its head, changes him in ways he could never have imagined.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Felix Hugo Fraldarius</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>i see ghosts in the shadows of your eyes (they linger, ever present, like heavy weights on your shoulders)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hoo boy, this one is a little heavy. Sorry about that! I have some ideas on where this would go outside of this one scene, I might expand on it at some point. </p>
<p>Thank you for reading! :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It is five o’clock in the evening on an unseasonably warm autumn Tuesday, and Felix stands on the sidewalk next to Annette and sighs, loudly. </p>
<p>“Do we really have to do this? I told you, it’s stupid. No one can see ghosts, they aren’t real.” </p>
<p>Annette rolls her eyes, tugging him forward. "Ashe says this guy is the real deal. Don't you want to find out? I thought… I thought maybe it could give you some closure, Felix. I think this could be good for you." </p>
<p>Closure. Such a stupid concept, Felix thinks. How could one ever truly find closure? Every day Felix wakes and thinks about how he should be dead. Everyone else sees it as some kind of blessing that he isn't, but to Felix, it's a curse. </p>
<p>"Look, Annette, I appreciate your concern, but-- hey!" He yelps, as Annette begins dragging him forward, yanking the door to the shop open and forcing him inside. </p>
<p>The interior of the place is dark, but not uninviting. Candles are placed on shelves throughout the room, which feels almost claustrophobic with the dark decor. The walls are a dark midnight blue, the furniture all black leather. The entire thing is very open, but Felix notes the door to the right behind the desk with a vague curiosity. </p>
<p>It smells of incense in here, almost overwhelmingly so. Annette’s grip on his arm is tight, and when the door behind the desk opens with a soft creaking noise, she jumps, startled. It’s almost comical, and the man who’s just entered the room seems to think so, too, because he laughs. <br/>It’s a warm, honeyed sound that seems to carry through the room; the acoustics of this place make it feel like the sound surrounds them, all-encompassing. </p>
<p>It makes the hair on the back of Felix’s neck stand on end. </p>
<p>Still, the man is plenty attractive, and he can’t be much older than Felix himself. Tall, broad-shouldered, with long blond hair he’s got pulled back into a ponytail. His blue eyes are mischievous, looking at the two of them. He’s dressed in a dark blue turtleneck and dark wash blue jeans, a strange contrast to the atmosphere of the place; Felix would have expected him to have a more occult aesthetic. He looks, for all intents and purposes, quite normal.</p>
<p>“You must be Annette, then? I believe we spoke on the phone yesterday?” he says, and Annette nods, still clinging to Felix’s arm like it’s a lifeline. The man laughs again, gesturing to the two of them to come closer. “You don’t have to look so afraid, you know. Or is it you’re afraid of spirits?” </p>
<p>His expression grows soft, and Annette seems to relax a little; she lets go of Felix’s arm, laughing sheepishly. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I’m just really scared of ghosts. I’m just here for moral support for Felix, here. He’s the one I told you about.” she says, motioning to Felix, who gives her a small scowl. </p>
<p>“For the record, I’m here entirely against my will. I don’t believe in any of this crap.” he says, and the man gives him a curious look, as though he’s studying him. It makes Felix uncomfortable. </p>
<p>“Ah,” he says, something like sympathy in his tone. “I understand. Well, you can call me Dimitri. I’m a medium, of sorts. I can’t see ghosts, so much as I’m a conduit for them. They speak through me, if you will. Annette told me you’ve lost your brother recently? I’m very sorry for your loss.” </p>
<p>“You didn’t know him, so I’m sure you’re not,” Felix snaps, and watches the way the man’s eyes go slightly wide. He sighs. “Sorry. I’m just really sick of platitudes. Could we get on with this so I can go home?”</p>
<p>Dimitri’s expression is unreadable, but he nods, gesturing to the chairs across from the desk. “You can wait here if you’d like, Annette. Felix, if you would follow me?” he says, rolling up his sleeves as he returns to the door he’d come from a moment ago. Felix sighs, following after him. For some reason, his heart pounds loudly in his ears. Nerves? He swallows thickly, shutting the door behind himself and looking around at what appears to be Dimitri’s office.</p>
<p>There are no windows in here, and the only light is from four candles, sitting on each corner of his desk. “I realize you may not believe in these things, but I will need to ask you a few questions. Please, sit.” he says, taking a seat behind the desk and waiting for Felix to follow suit. He does so; the chair is comfortable, almost /too/ much so. </p>
<p>“Well? Go ahead.” he says, locking eyes with Dimitri since everything else in the room is too dimly lit to focus on. Felix wonders if that is the point. </p>
<p>“Your brother; Annette didn’t tell me the details about his death. I assume it was sudden? Or did he have some chronic illness?” he asks, and Felix swallows, his throat dry. </p>
<p>“He… it was an accident. I called him for a ride, it was maybe three in the morning and I’d been out with some friends and had a bit too much to drink.” He breathes in, deeply. “We were on the way home, on his motorcycle. It was a drunk driver, they ran the red light. Irony, isn’t it?” He smiles, though it’s sharp-edged, like a knife. “Anyway, he died on impact. Somehow I barely had any injuries at all. A concussion, some scrapes and bruises. I spent the night in the hospital and went home the next afternoon.” </p>
<p>It’s strange, the way Dimitri is looking at him. It isn’t pity; Felix has grown so used to the pitying that he’d know it. No, it’s something deeper than that. As though Dimitri is looking right through him, into the heart of him. It makes Felix viscerally uncomfortable to feel seen in such a way. Dimitri must notice, because after a moment he averts his eyes, glancing down at his desk for a moment.</p>
<p>“And his name? Was he younger or older than you, or were you twins?” he asks. Felix sighs.</p>
<p>“Glenn. He was four years older than me. Listen, how long do you have to interrogate me? Do you want my entire life story?” he asks, and Dimitri gives him a wry sort of smile. </p>
<p>“As interesting as I’m sure that would be, perhaps we could save it for another time. I don’t need much, in the case of sudden, violent deaths. Generally those spirits are easiest to contact; they aren’t at peace, so they crave any sort of contact with the living world they left so suddenly. I believe that should be enough.” he says, and he lays his hands out across the table, waiting. “If you could take my hands, we’ll get started.” </p>
<p>Against his better judgment, Felix takes his hands. It’ll make Annette happy, he tells himself, ignoring the gnawing pit of dread in his stomach. Everything about this was ridiculous; no one could speak to the dead. </p>
<p>“I call now to you, Glenn Fraldarius,” he says, and Felix blinks. Annette must have given Dimitri his last name for the appointment. “I call to you, your brother calls to you. I call to you now to let you say your goodbyes, to touch the world of the living once more through me.”</p>
<p>There is a cold, awful breeze that makes Felix shiver; the candles on the desk flicker. There are no fans in here, no windows, so where is it coming from? Goosebumps rise on his arms, and he feels parched, suddenly. Dimitri’s eyes in the dim light are a dark, deep blue, and Felix finds he can’t look away from them. </p>
<p>The candles flicker out, and Felix nearly opens his mouth to speak, but then they flare to life again, brighter than before. Dimitri’s eyes are different, now; they are sharp, with a strange sort of glow to them. When he speaks, it is his same voice, but the tone of it makes Felix’s heart drop in his chest. </p>
<p><i>“Felix?”</i> he says, and there’s such confusion in his tone. <i>“Fee, is it really you?”</i> </p>
<p>Felix tries to speak, but no words will come. This doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t-- there’s no way this man could know how Glenn spoke, or his nickname for Felix. There’s no logical explanation for it. </p>
<p>Dimitri laughs, but it sounds entirely different from the way he’d laughed before. It sounds disconcertingly, unnervingly, like Glenn’s; an undignified, raucous bark of laughter. </p>
<p><i>“I’m so glad,”</i> he says, and Felix wants to scream. <i>“I’m so glad you made it. I tried to protect you, you know? You look like you’re okay.”</i> </p>
<p>“Well, I’m not!” Felix shouts, finding his voice suddenly. Dimitri(or, Felix supposes, Glenn) startles, his eyes going wide. “How could I be?! It’s-- it’s my fault you died, you idiot! I shouldn’t have called you, I should have taken a cab or something, I shouldn’t have--” </p>
<p>Dimitri’s hands grip Felix’s, tightly. He shakes his head, and his smile is lopsided, just like Glenn’s. It’s eerie to look at; Felix still can’t quite reconcile it as a thing that’s truly happening. </p>
<p><i>“It’s not your fault, Fee,”</i> he says, softly. <i>“You know I’d always be there if you needed me. It’s not your fault, okay? Your big brother always protected you. I’ll always protect you, even now. So don’t blame yourself, okay? It’s not your fault; you were the responsible one that called for a ride that night. You couldn’t have known someone else wouldn’t.”</i> </p>
<p>Tears sting at the corners of Felix’s eyes. There’s a burning feeling in his lungs that is so excruciatingly painful it feels as though he can’t breathe.</p>
<p>He forces the words out, not sure that he wants to know the answer. “Did… did it hurt?” </p>
<p>The warmth in Dimitri’s eyes is so familiar, Felix can hardly stand it. <i>“If it did, I don’t remember. It was very sudden. I’m still-- I’ve been trying to find you all this time, Fee.”</i></p>
<p>He feels sick, like he might throw up or pass out or both. “Can you… can you stay with me just a little longer, then?” he asks, hating how small and childish he sounds. It’s like they’re children again, Felix running to Glenn in tears as he often had growing up. </p>
<p>Dimitri smiles. <i>“Of course. As long as you need me, little bro. You can’t see me, but I’ll be right there with you. Promise.”</i></p>
<p>Felix opens his mouth to speak, but as he does so, the candles flicker again, that breeze sending shivers down his spine once more. The grip Dimitri has on him slackens, a little, and when Felix blinks, the traces of Glenn he’d seen there are gone. The lopsided smile, the sharpness to his eyes, the firmness of his grip is all gone. </p>
<p>Felix pulls his hands away from Dimitri as though he’d been burned, slumping back into the chair and putting his face in his hands. For a moment, there is blessed silence. </p>
<p>“...Are you alright, Felix?” Dimitri asks, and Felix wants to laugh, except that there’s a knowing sort of pain in Dimitri’s voice that stops him. “I can give you some time alone, if you’d like--”</p>
<p>“No,” Felix interjects, sharply. “You’re fine. Sorry. I just…” </p>
<p>“...I know. It must be very difficult, what you’re going through right now. There are many people I wish I could speak to, one last time. For me, it’s impossible. So I do what I can for others, to help relieve some of that pain. I hope it gives you at least a little peace.” </p>
<p>Peace. Felix can’t imagine what that might feel like, now. Still, he does feel different somehow. As though some sort of weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He lifts his head, looks to Dimitri, who meets his eyes fearlessly, in a way almost no one will these days. </p>
<p>“Could I come again? Not-- not necessarily to speak to him, just. I could bring you coffee, or something.” he says, and watches as Dimitri’s face takes an entire journey before he laughs, that mischievous look settling into his eyes again. </p>
<p>“Are you trying to ask me on a date? I must say, that’s a first. Most of my clients either hate me, or they’re deeply uncomfortable looking at me afterward. But… I won’t say no.” he says, after a moment of deliberation. “I might suggest not bringing your friend along, next time. She seems easily spooked.” </p>
<p>Felix sighs. “She’s terrified of ghosts, but she braved all that to bring me here. She’s a good friend.” he says, quietly. “But I’d rather see you alone, next time. I’ll get your number from Annette.” </p>
<p>Dimitri’s smile reaches his eyes, a first for the short time Felix has seen him. They sit for a long while in silence, but for the first time since the accident, Felix feels like he isn’t alone. Something about this man sitting across from him is so hauntingly sad, Felix can’t help but feel a kinship with him. He wonders who Dimitri has lost, and how much it must pain him to not be able to speak to them, even with his gifts. </p>
<p>After he composes himself, he pays Dimitri for his services. When he goes to leave, he lingers for a moment at the door. “Thank you,” Felix says, and he’s surprised at how much he means it. Then he steps out of the office, back into the shop, where Annette bombards him with question after question. </p>
<p>A small, cold breeze hits the back of his neck, and he hears it, like a whisper: </p>
<p><i>I’m with you, Fee.</i> </p>
<p>He turns, as the shop door closes behind him, and sees Dimitri watching him, knowingly, from the open door to his office. He looks composed, but something about his silhouette is so unbearably lonely. Yes, Felix decides, resolute. He would very much like to see Dimitri again.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>